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–+ servings
bowl of crawfish etouffee with rice.
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5 from 14 votes

Crawfish Étouffée

Crawfish Étouffée, full of tender seafood bites smothered in a spicy Cajun tomato based sauce and served over rice, is Southern comfort food at it's best! This New Orleans classic can easily be made at home with this quick and easy recipe. I love to make a big batch and freeze it for when I crave spicy cajun food! 
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Total Time35 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American, Cajun
Servings: 4 servings
Author: Krissy Allori

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 1 cup diced onion
  • 1/2 cup diced green bell pepper
  • 1/2 cup chopped celery
  • 1 tablespoon Cajun Spice Seasoning
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup diced tomatoes diced or canned
  • 2 cups chicken stock
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 dash of hot sauce Tobasco
  • 12 ounces cooked crawfish or substitute with langostino
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 cup sliced green onions
  • cooked medium or long grain white rice for serving

Instructions

  • Sauté vegetables: Melt the 3 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat until it begins to slightly brown around the edges. Sauté the 1 cup diced onion, 1/2 cup chopped celery, and 1/2 cup diced green bell pepper in the hot butter until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir only to prevent burning. Add the 1 tablespoon Cajun Spice Seasoning and stir to combine.
    sauteed onions, peppers, and celery with Cajun seasoning.
  • Make the roux: Sprinkle 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour onto the vegetable mixture, stir to coat, and cook for 3 to 4 minutes.
    Flour sprinkled on top of vegetables to make roux.
  • Add sauce ingredients: Stir in 1/2 cup diced tomatoes; cook until tomato juice begins to brown on the bottom of the pan, about 3 minutes. Whisk 2 cups chicken stock into the vegetable mixture, stirring until smooth. Add the 1 bay leaf. Bring to a simmer and cook until slightly thickened and reduced to a gravy consistency, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce and 1 dash of hot sauce.
    thickened sauce for Crawfish Étouffée recipe.
  • Warm seafood: Stir 12 ounces cooked crawfish (or langostino) into étouffée sauce. Since the seafood is already cooked, cook it in the sauce just until it is heated through. Remove the pan from heat and taste. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt, to taste. Remove bay leaf before serving.
    Adding cooked crawfish to etouffee sauce.
  • Serve over cooked medium or long grain white rice and garnish with 1/4 cup sliced green onions.

Video

Notes

Can easily replace crawfish with same quantities of cooked shrimp and/or langostino.

Nutrition

Calories: 175kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 40mg | Sodium: 572mg | Potassium: 387mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 1345IU | Vitamin C: 22.5mg | Calcium: 43mg | Iron: 1.4mg